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    Ashes of Honor: An October Daye Novel
    Ashes of Honor: An October Daye Novel
    Ashes of Honor: An October Daye Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    Ashes of Honor: An October Daye Novel

    Written by Seanan McGuire

    Narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    It’s been almost a year since October “Toby” Daye averted a war, gave up a county, and suffered personal losses that have left her wishing for a good day’s sleep. She’s tried to focus on her responsibilities—training Quentin, upholding her position as Sylvester’s knight, and paying the bills—but she can’t help feeling like her world is crumbling around her, and her increasingly reckless behavior is beginning to worry even her staunchest supporters.

    To make matters worse, Toby’s just been asked to find another missing child…only this time it’s the changeling daughter of her fellow knight, Etienne, who didn’t even know he was a father until the girl went missing. Her name is Chelsea. She’s a teleporter, like her father. She’s also the kind of changeling the old stories warn about, the ones with all the strength and none of the control. She’s opening doors that were never meant to be opened, releasing dangers that were sealed away centuries before—and there’s a good chance she could destroy Faerie if she isn’t stopped.

    Now Toby must find Chelsea before time runs out, racing against an unknown deadline and through unknown worlds as she and her allies try to avert disaster. But danger is also stirring in the Court of Cats, and Tybalt may need Toby’s help with the biggest challenge he’s ever faced.

    Toby thought the last year was bad. She has no idea.

    “Toby’s unusual heritage and her uneasy relationships with her mother’s family will remind readers of Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series, and Thompson fans will appreciate Toby’s tough and self-reliant character…a must for fans of genre-bending blends of crime and fantasy.” —Booklist (starred review)

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 4, 2012
    ISBN9781455848959
    Ashes of Honor: An October Daye Novel
    Author

    Seanan McGuire

    SEANAN McGUIRE is the author of the Hugo, Nebula, Alex, and Locus Award–winning Wayward Children series, the October Daye series, the InCryptid series, and other works. She also writes darker fiction as Mira Grant. Seanan lives in Seattle with her cats, a vast collection of creepy dolls, horror movies, and sufficient books to qualify her as a fire hazard. She won the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and in 2013 became the first person to appear five times on the same Hugo ballot. In 2022 she managed the same feat, again!

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    Reviews for Ashes of Honor

    4.5/5

    501 ratings25 reviews

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    • 4/5
      While I read this in ebook format (thank you Hugo Packet) I also have a physical copy of the book as well.Etienne has a problem, a teenage daughter who is in trouble, a teenage daughter he didn't realise he had until she went missing. She's wildly teleporting and it's going to cause a lot of problems. He asks Toby for help and she has to negotiate this situation with some tact and ensure that she doesn't injure too many people, particularly herself.
    • 5/5
      this one might be my favorite so far. loved it
    • 5/5
      This book was intense from beginning to end. So enjoying this series.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoy this series! They’re well written, a lot of fun and I really love the world McGuire creates. This one had a lot of Tybalt in it too, which is awesome since he’s a great character! I like him a lot better than Connor and I'm kind of glad that that part of Toby's love life is over.
    • 4/5
      It has been almost a year since the events of One Salt Sea and, understandably, Toby still hasn’t recovered one hundred per cent. I won’t say what from, because spoilers, but if you’ve read the book you’ll know.

      But she is back on the job, private detectiving2 and all that. And as always she has a soft spot for children in need, so when Etienne comes to her with the story of a daughter he never knew about going missing she is straight on the case

      It’s always tough reviewing books in a series because in many ways I’m just repeating myself. If you haven’t read any of the previous books then you aren’t going to read this review because well, what’s the point in finding out about the sixth book when you know nothing about book one. Most people start at the beginning.

      And if you have read the rest of the series, well, you must be enjoying it, so of course you’re going to read this one, right?

      So I’ll keep this one real short. Urban fantasy. Changelings. The dangers of the fae. Action. Death. Blood and violence.

      And Toby is pretty damn cool. She isn’t perfect, but then, who is? And she knows she’s not perfect so that always helps. She knows she’ll always try to be the hero, she knows she won’t always save the day, but she’ll always try to.
    • 5/5
      Took me a while to get this book, so I read a bunch of others while waiting for it to ship. Starting the series back up again... I forgot how good this series was. Worth the wait! A lot happens in this one. A lot of hidden truths come out. Super fast read and enjoyable as always. Creative, interesting, fiery... very visual. Highly recommend this series.
    • 4/5
      This series gets better with each new book, the protagonist taking on new facets and added depth - and so do the people surrounding her, and the fae world built by the author.

      Now that I read all the published books - almost back to back - I will have to face a long time waiting for the next one... Hopefully it won't be long!
    • 5/5
      Toby is still struggling with the loss of both Connor and her daughter when Etienne comes to her and asks her to help find the daughter he never knew he had. Chelsea's mother contacted him when she disappeared right in front of her friends. As Eitienne is Tuatha de Danaan, a skilled teleporter, his changeling daughter apparently inherited more than her fair share of his powers, and seems to be porting out of control and is damaging Fairie in the process. At the same time, Tybalt is dealing with a challenge to his throne, and oh yeah, Toby realizes she has loved him all along.As always, an amazing and fun read. Seanan McGuire just keeps making Toby's world even more interesting in each book. This series is not to be missed!
    • 4/5
      Ashes of Honor
      4 Stars

      Still recovering from the aftermath of her last case, Changeling PI, Toby Daye, is struggling to live up to her responsibilities. The last thing she wants or needs is a new investigation. But things never did run smoothly for Toby, so when a fellow knight approaches her with a request to find his missing daughter, she soon finds herself in pursuit of a young girl with the power to destroy all of Faerie if she isn't stopped.

      Definitely the best installment in the series both in terms of plot and character development.

      The plot is comprised of several seemingly separate storylines that all eventually come together to form a cohesive whole. While some are predictable, others are surprising and result in some compelling twists. The action scenes are exciting and there are one or two very dicey moments for Toby and her allies.

      In terms of the world building, readers are introduced to several knew locations in the fae universe and the descriptions are, once again, rich in detail and symbolism.

      Of course, the true highlight of the story is Toby's interactions with her makeshift family. Now that Connor is out of the picture, Toby finally comes to her senses and realizes that Tybalt has always been "The One". Raj and Quentin, May and Jaz, and even the Luidaeg all put in an appearance and demonstrate just how far Toby has come in accepting that she is loved.

      All in all, this series is fulfilling its potential and it looks the Pure Bloods' despicable attitude toward the Changelings will be coming to a head in the next book. Looking forward to it.
    • 4/5
      I really like this series and it just keeps building on itself. Toby is hired to find a missing changling daughter that until a few days before she went missing her father didn't know about her. Turns out her magic doesn't have the normal limitations that fey children have and none of the drawbacks of being a half blood. Lots of backstory from previous books gets filled in a bit with this book and it really makes me want to read the series all over again.
    • 4/5
      This is volume 6 of the Toby Daye series, and they keep getting better. I complained in the past that the pattern seems to be "Toby gets beat up, Toby has to face antagonist without having time to heal, Toby pulls it off." She often goes running off on her own in really stupid ways. In this volume, she finally consciously addresses all that, and while she does get beat up and then have to face the antagonist, she at least had the sense not to run off all on her own. That's one of many signs in this book that Toby has grown and matured as a character. It's not that she has gotten more powerful (although in some ways, she has), it's that she has become an adult - dealing with the emotional aftermath of the various tragedies she has faced. In the previous volume, One Salt Sea, she suffered a huge blow (not named to avoid possible spoilers) and she's reeling from it at the beginning of this book. This reflects the beginning of the series, when she also suffers an equivalent trauma, and basically doesn't deal with it. In some ways, she only really faced it in One Salt Sea, so the healing process in this volume has a lot to cover. Toby has always felt responsible for those in her care, almost too much so, in the cases of the youngsters, Quentin and Raj. But she is now able to acknowledge that adults depend on her as well (and unlike with her county, she doesn't run away and dump it on the nearest feasible alternative). She also asks for help, which she has never done before, and thinks before running into danger. I am strongly recommending this series.Also, the Luidaeg rules.
    • 5/5
      A missing changeling, a usurper in the Court of Cats, a centuries old, forbidden land. And they all have one thing in common: the intrepid Sir October Daye. Toby's still dealing with the aftereffects of Connor's death. And worrying the heck out of her friends. This might possibly be the best October Daye installment yet. Can't wait to see what rabbit holes McGuire sends Toby down next.
    • 5/5
      *Happy sigh* I just finished this book, and have a bit of a bookhangover as a result. It drew me in, and hasn't let me go even at the last page. 5s all across the board. I love how the characters are always consistent, yet can surprise me even still. The only problem? I now want the next book to come out sooner! If I didn't know that Seanan already writes at inhuman speeds, i'd be pleading for her to write faster. As is, very much happy, very much looking forward to the next ones, and very, very glad this series continues well past this point.
    • 5/5
      This book made me want to go back and re-read the whole series.
    • 5/5
      I had been waiting for what felt like forever for this book and then I devoured the whole thing in just about a day, it was that good. This is my favorite of the October Daye books, and not just because of Tybalt. There's something about this book that really just grabbed and made me not want to let go (ever!). I think it was the way Toby deals with the aftermath of what happened in One Salt Sea along with her desire to die (partly resulting in the events of the previous books). There's darkness and death, but there are people in Toby's life who love her and that's part of what makes this book (and the others) so good. I loved Ashes of Honor -- it was worth the wait.
    • 5/5
      In Ashes of Honor, Toby and the gang are back to doing what they do best - saving missing kids. But the plot isn’t same ol’ same ol’; instead, we get to explore new worlds and new courts, look inside the mind of a crazy Faerie who has been lurking in the background since the series began, and see different sides of Etienne, Tybalt, and the Luidaeg. I especially love the relationship development in this book, not only in the romance department but also in regard to the heartfelt bond between a father and daughter and the strengthening of Toby’s relationships with her friends. The ending leaves a couple of questions unanswered, but I’m not sure if these unresolved issues are small enough to be overlooked or if they will be seeds for future developments. Regardless, fans of the series won’t be disappointed, and Ashes of Honor will undoubtedly leave readers eager for the next installment Chimes at Midnight, coming out in September 2013.
    • 5/5
      Love it. As usual, I end one of Seanan's books utterly mazed in her world...Again, Toby's world is changing. Somewhat less physical change than the last book, but more emotional change - dealing with Connor's death and with what happened to Gillian. Then there's the current crisis, which pushes a lot of her buttons (and, incidentally, threatens all of Faerie, on several levels). Current crises, actually - the main one, plus an assassination attempt on Tybalt that gets Toby disemboweled. She also learns some of the limits of her new abilities. The emotional changes are the biggest part, though. Toby actually admits she's a hero - consciously, even; admits that sometimes she needs rescuing; sincerely apologizes for someone else being in danger through her - that's not entirely new, though I don't think she ever meant it quite so sincerely before. She's accepted her responsibility to Quentin, and to Raj. She's...well, she's grown up. It's kind of amazing. I know (I'm pretty sure, anyway) that there are more books to come, to which I say Yay! and How soon? (which is also normal when I finish one of Seanan's books). And I really need to get all of this series for myself, so I can reread more easily than finding it in the library. Really good! (if I somehow have not expressed that already...)
    • 5/5
      The sixth October Daye book "Ashes of Honor" only reinforced how magical this series it. This new volume is another visit to McGuire's imagined lush and magical world of the fae. In this story Toby is still getting over her recent losses from the previous novel. Her self destructive tendancies are at an all time new high. Previous readers know that Toby has a soft spot for children, especially when they go missing and need to be retrieved. When Etienne tells her his changeling daughter has disappeared it doesn't take long for her to agree to hunt for the young teenager. But the girl has powerful and uncontrolled magic and she just doesn't know how to control her abilities and she may just end up tearing unrepairable holes in the borders between the human and fairy realms.What makes this book so amazing? Toby is one of the best urban fantasy characters in fiction today. She is smart, spunky and extremely likeable. Tybalt, the King of Cats has long been my favorite character aside from Toby and he is in this book...a lot! We learn a lot more about him here and we learn more about the sometimes strange relationship between the two. But this book brings about plenty of new possibilities for the two of them that I can't wait to see explored. I also adore young Raj and Quinton. I love the entire cast of this series for the most part. I also liked that Toby had the chance to visit Tamed Lightening again (first time since the second book). The story was as exciting as any of the previous books and with this world so well established now, McGuire has a lot of room to play with these phenomenal characters. As readers we want to root for Toby and her gang and we want to catch up with them because they feel like long lost friends. A year or more between books can feel like way too long when the stories are this compelling. I want to say more about this plot but at this time I don't want to give away any of the mysteries this book holds. I laughed out loud when reading this book and I may have even shed a tear or two.If you haven't managed to start this series yet I can't encourage it enough. I will say that I wasn't a huge fan of the first book but hang in there because they just keep getting better and better from that point. I think that this world is just so complex and invovled that the first book may have put me into information overload but its worth it to get the payoff with the remainder of the series.
    • 5/5
      The premise: ganked from BN.com: It’s been almost a year since October “Toby” Daye averted a war, gave up a county, and suffered personal losses that have left her wishing for a good day’s sleep. She’s tried to focus on her responsibilities—training Quentin, upholding her position as Sylvester’s knight, and paying the bills—but she can’t help feeling like her world is crumbling around her, and her increasingly reckless behavior is beginning to worry even her staunchest supporters.To make matters worse, Toby’s just been asked to find another missing child…only this time it’s the changeling daughter of her fellow knight, Etienne, who didn’t even know he was a father until the girl went missing. Her name is Chelsea. She’s a teleporter, like her father. She’s also the kind of changeling the old stories warn about, the ones with all the strength and none of the control. She’s opening doors that were never meant to be opened, releasing dangers that were sealed away centuries before—and there’s a good chance she could destroy Faerie if she isn’t stopped.Now Toby must find Chelsea before time runs out, racing against an unknown deadline and through unknown worlds as she and her allies try to avert disaster. But danger is also stirring in the Court of Cats, and Tybalt may need Toby’s help with the biggest challenge he’s ever faced.Toby thought the last year was bad. She has no idea.My Rating: Couldn't Put It DownThe thing that excited me most about this book is the very thing I can't talk about because it's a major spoiler. But this book delighted me to no end. I always love coming back to these characters, to see how they interact with each other and support each other. The world-building is, as always, utterly engaging, and McGuire's continued development of it in this book was quite welcoming. The new additions to the cast are also quite promising. Most of all, I appreciated the growth we got out of Toby, who was dealt a hard blow in One Salt Sea and is still recovering in this book. Fans of the series will enjoy this great read, and as always, I look forward to the next installment.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Yay. OMG yay. So, um, don't read the full review if you've not read it. And please don't even think about it if you're behind on the series anyway. For those of you caught up, the full review is at my blog, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome. Just click the link below to be taken to the full review!REVIEW: Seanan McGuire's ASHES OF HONORHappy Reading!
    • 4/5
      A missing changeling turns into a major crisis when it becomes apparent that the girl is the rare changeling with power but no limits (rather than the other way around). Toby is still reeling from the death of her lover, pushing people away and taking wild risks.A good entry in the series.
    • 5/5
      Everything I have ever read by Seanan McGuire has been amazing. EVERYTHING. Every single October Daye novel, all of the Mira Grant zombie novels and even McGuire's new Incryptid series. I am completely addicted to her amazing writing style, imaginative worlds, fast-paced action and incredibly fun characters. Seriously...I have not read one dud yet from Seanan McGuire. So, keep two important things in mind throughout this review: (1) I'm very biased and (2) I have high expectations for this book.In her last adventure, everyone's favorite changeling turned knight Toby goes in search of another missing child, a fellow changeling with potentially dangerous powers. Powers that can open doors to dangerous places in Faerie that should remain closed and that could destroy the Faerie realm. Toby must find the lost changeling before things get out of control and before the Court of Cats goes nuts.What is there to say about Ashes of Honor? It may be the sixth book in a series, but the Toby Daye books have not lost their steam at all. The world is just as mystical, vivid and wonderful as always, filled with plenty of new twists and turns that add some new levels to an already engrossing world. Nothing about Toby and her world is running out of steam at all here. There is still so much to explore in McGuire's version of Faerie that it never gets old. And the action never seems to stop for Toby.Probably the biggest development was the relationship between Toby and Tybalt. After five previous book of build up it finally changed -not necessarily in a good way or in the way readers expect, but it's very interesting and it's great that the relationship advanced. But as you might expect, it's not that easy for the two of them with the Court of Cats trying to involve themselves in everything.If you have not read any of the Toby Daye novels before, look up the first book, Rosemary and Rue and read it. Like now. This is an excellent series that never disappoints and never slows down. You won't regret it.
    • 5/5
      This is the sixth book in the October Daye series. It seems like these books just keep getting better and better. In this installment we travel to new lands, get to see Toby’s new powers in action, and also get to spend a lot of time with my favorite character The King of Cats, Tybalt. This was just a fantastic book in this series.Toby is trying to recover from her losses in the last book; she is focusing on her duties as a knight and training Quentin in his duties. Personal losses have taken an emotional toll on Toby though ,and she has been throwing herself into more and more reckless situations to the point where her friends are starting to be scared for her. Things get worse when Etienne (a fellow knight from Shadowed Hills) finds out he has a changeling daughter, Chelsea, and that she has gone missing. He hires Toby to find Chelsea, but when they find out Chelsea has unlimited power and is ripping the world apart with her teleportation abilities, the quest to recover her becomes a world-saving one.I have to say right away that Tybalt, the King of Cats, is my favorite character in this series. The fact that he was in the story so much and that we learn so much more about him and his court of cats really made this a fun and enjoyable read for me.In addition to the above Toby gets to venture into some brand new worlds never before traveled to. I loved being introduced to these new worlds and hearing the stories behind their history. We also get to see a side of the Luidage we’ve never seen before, I love the character of the Luidage as well.I also felt like Toby healed a lot in this book; she seems to finally be working through her grief and letting her friends back in. She is also starting to learn the limits of her new faerie powers. With both her magical and emotional status stabilising she is becoming a force to be reckoned with and a really fun character to read about.A lot of the plot turns and twists thoughout the book are incredibly creative. I love that you never know what you are going to run into in these books, each new turn of the story holds new wonder for the reader. The story is incredibly well written and fun to read. I did miss the nursery rhyme references, they really weren’t in this book at all.Overall I just loved this book. It is one of the strongest book in this series, these books just keep getting better and better. Wonderful characters, new worlds, a creative plot, and excellent pacing make this a book that is hard to put down. There is lots of Tybalt in this book which is awesome and Toby is finally starting to stabilize both magically and emotionally. I can’t wait to see what the next book holds for these wonderful characters and this amazing world. This whole series is highly recommended to fans of urban fantasy, especially those who love a little faerie in the urban fantasy.
    • 5/5
      Ashes of Honor is the sixth book in the Toby Daye series and every new book that comes out in this series becomes my favorite. This time Toby's task is to find another missing child the changeling daughter of another of Sylvester's knights Etienne; a daughter he didn't know he had until she went missing. Chelsea can teleport like her father but she has very little control over the power she possesses and her teleporting is ripping apart the very fabric of faery. Toby must stop find and stop her before the damage goes too far. Toby herself is still mourning after losing her lover and having to give up her own daughter.Ok there is going to be spoilers coming so if you don't want to see them stop reading here...go on shoo.The plot in this installment is pretty straight forward find the missing girl in time or the world ends. After finding Chelsea though Toby must give her the changeling's choice, where the girl must choose to become fae and Toby will change her blood so that she is totally fae or become human. This brings up a lot of crap for Toby both in having to have made her own choice when she was a child and having to give her daughter the choice after she had been kidnapped. Toby is only now coming to terms with the fact that she had to give up her daughter because of the same choices. While Toby, with a lot of help from Tybalt is searching for the missing girl Tybalt is facing a coup in his own court because of his relationship with Toby.The usual cast of characters are present including May, the Ludaeg, Sylvester, Quentin, April and of course Tybalt. There were some new characters as well, Li Qin who can bend luck and Duchess Riordan the bad guy/gal. Honestly I could read a whole book about the Ludaeg she is just that cool. Aaaaah Tybalt, remember I warned you about the spoilers! FINALLY they hook up. I have been a fan since the very first book and I always thought the selkie was kind of a weak willed twit and am so happy she finally got together with Tybalt. Tybalt is strong enough to handle a coup in his own court and still effectively help Toby, that's the guy she needs at her back.As usual the world building in this book is amazing. With each novel the author introduces us to a little more of the faery world that she has created. With all the teleporting that Chelsea did we got to see even more. The different types of fae and the magic they are capable of we get more of in each chapter. I would love to see more though of Toby and her Mother as they are the only Dochas Sidhe and the power Amadine has as first born. All in all another amazing ride in the Toby Daye series and I can't wait for the next.
    • 5/5
      I'm in love with the series, & this fulfills the promises made in the previous books. Urban fantasy is the genre, but I always describe these as fairy-tale noir. The feel of the cities is authentic and the characters compelling.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.allthingsuf.comThe October Daye series is one of those delicious worlds that becomes more and more beloved with each visit, and ASHES OF HONOR is my favorite of this series to date. Tobey and her squire, the electric Dryad, Tybalt and Raj, Sylvester and May, all of the familiar favorites get page time in this book. Despite the pain and losses of prior books and the mystery central to this one, seeing the support network of friends and family around October makes ASHES OF HONOR a sweet interlude of happiness in the series.Part of what fed the happy tone is the fact that I was not mourning past losses as deeply as October does (though I’ll try to gloss over specifics to avoid spoilers for those behind on the series). I feel a little bad that I am willing to forget so quickly, but October’s current romantic prospects more than outweighed lost opportunities for me. October explores her romantic past and future on multiple levels in this book, and I couldn’t be happier with the way things are going.In ASHES OF HONOR more than any prior book, I felt that Tobey shared top billing with her support network of friends and colleagues. This collaborative style was incredibly satisfying, diluting the pain and isolation that so characterized Tobey’s past. Though readers new to the series would certainly be curious about past events (and miss out on some emotional impact), I think you could pick up ASHES OF HONOR and enjoy it as a standalone. October ruminates on past mistakes and takes the time to appreciate her present day in a way that I loved reading and that new readers could appreciate.Now more than ever October Daye ranks alongside Kate Daniels and Rachel Morgan as a nuanced, fascinating main character. Each of these heroines kick butt in their own unique way, but all form lasting friendships that are as rich and satisfying as any romance. ASHES OF HONOR definitely focused on developing the relationships of Tobey and her allies, and felt like a long awaited chance for Tobey to catch her breath. I enjoyed this straightforward mystery and emotionally rich story, and am looking forward to where McGuire takes the world of faerie next.Sexual Content: Kissing.